Investigating the Gap between Existing and Required Professional Competencies of the Agricultural Extension Agents and Extracting their Training Needs in Iran
Subject Areas : Environmental policy and management
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Abstract :
For the agricultural sector to develop, a capable extension system is necessary. A literature review revealed the absence of comprehensive research addressing all the competencies required by an agricultural agent to achieve optimal efficiency in their duties. To investigate this issue and identify the real professional training needs of extension agents, a survey research method was applied. A sample of 488 respondents was randomly selected from 10,000 agricultural extension agents across the country, and the Mann-Whitney test was used to analyze the variables. The results showed that most extension agents were employed with education in fields other than agricultural extension. Therefore, practical competencies alone are insufficient for enhancing the system. Extension practitioners need a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical skills for better performance. Agents demonstrated relatively good knowledge in agricultural sciences, conducting and directing needs assessments, organizing farm days, prioritizing needs and deficiencies, and organizing participant observations. However, they had minimal technical knowledge in fisheries, conducting brainstorming, developing Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), and conflict management. For the agricultural sector to be developed, it is necessary to have a capable extension system. Literature review showed the absence of a comprehensive research in the field that considers all the competencies required by an agricultural agent to reach to an optimum level of efficiency in his/her duties. For investigating around the issue and extracting the real professional training needs of extension agents, a survey research method applied through which 488 respondents out of 10000 agricultural extension agents were randomly selected across the country and Mann-Whitney test applied to analyze the variables. According to results, most extension agents have employed while they have educated in the majors other than agricultural extension so, for enhancing the system, practical competencies are not solely enough. For a better performance, extension practitioners should be qualified with sufficient amount of theoretical knowledge too. (Combination of theory and practice). In terms of familiarity with professional competencies, agents had relatively good knowledge in agricultural sciences, conducting and directing needs assessment, organizing farm days, prioritizing needs and deficiencies, and organizing the observations of participants. However, technical knowledge in fisheries, conducting brainstorming, developing CBOs (Community-based organizations) and conflict management were the fields in which the extension agents had minimum knowledge.
